Method of lining pipes.



J. 0. PERSONS.

METHOD OF LINING PIPES.

APPLIQATIQN FILED on. 14, 1908.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

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METHOD OF LINIHG PIPES. APPLICATION FILED 0011. 1% 1903.

9%& 1 $4. Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

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JAMES OTIS PERSONS, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF LINING PIPES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1909.

Application filed October 14, 1908. Serial No. 457,761.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES O. PERSONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Lining Pipes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a method of lining pipes with lead or similar material, and more particularly, to a method for lining either straight or curved pipes after they have been cut, finished, or set in any desired structural relation.

The invention is especially well ada ted for lining the various pipe lines foun on ship board, but is not, of course, limited to such use, as it lends itself readily to widely varying classes of work.

Broadly considered the invention contemplates the provision of improved means for uniformly expanding a tube of malleable material, such as lead, from one diameter to a greater predetermined diameter, throughout its length.

More specifically, the invention seeks to provide means for producing a lead or similar lining in a given pipe by inserting a lead tube of smaller diameter into said pipe, and

.then expanding said lead tube until it is forced into close contact with the walls of the outer pipe. It has heretofore been proposed to accomplish this result by hydraulic pressure, but it is found in practice, that, where this method is employed, air bubbles are formed between the walls of the, two pipes, and hence the intimate contact required can not be obtained. It has also been proposed to line iron or similar pipes with lead, at the time of their manufacture into stock of standard length. This is accomplished by'clamping the straight lengths of pipe in suitable Vises, inserting the lead linings, and then expanding them by means of a tool or spreader carried by a mandrel.

. This method is obviously applicable only to straight pipe. Furthermore, it has been found that, when such pipe is cut for the purpose of fitting or setting the same, the

lining becomes separated from the pipe at the 'point of cutting, and it is therea er extremely diflicult to cause it 'to adhere again in a satisfactory manner.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to devise a method of lining which shall be applicable to curved, as well as straight pipe, and to pipe after it has been cut and set into its final osition. In this Way the necessity ,of cutting and marring the linin may be obviated.

A furt er object of the invention is to devise a method which shall be equally as well adapted to repair work, 2'. e., to lining old or corroded pipe, as to new work.

A further object is to devise a method by which air bubbles between the pipe and lin-. ing will be eliminated, and a close union of the parts secured.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of inserting, the lead linings into the pipes.

With the above objects in view, the invention consists in the method and apparatus hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which z- Figure l is a view, partly in section, showing my improved method of attaching at cable to the tube to be inserted in the pipe. Fig. 2 is a detail end view of such a tube on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the cable in position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the method of inserting a tube into the pipe to be lined. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section illustrating the process of expanding the tube within the pipe. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a carrying forward of the same idea. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of the end of a finished pipe section, with the lining in place. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. 5, but showing a slightly different method. Fig. 9 is a central longitudinal section of one form of spreader which I employ. Figs. 10, 11,'and 12 are views showing other forms of spreaders adapted to certain classes of work.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the malleable tube, which is to form thelining, and which is usually made of lead or similar material, and 2 indicates the pipe to be lined. This pipe may be either iron, copper or other material, and may be either straight or provided with a number of bends.

From experiments heretofore made in inserting lead tubin into pipes, it has been found that where t e pipe is lon and crooked it is very difficult to proper y insert the tube. It has been found that if tension is applied to the front end of the tube the resistance offered to its passage through the the tube. These pipe often results in rupturing the tube, and, on the other hand, if it is attempted to push the tube through the ipe by exerting a pressure on its rear end, t e tube is apt to buckle and become distorted. To obviate these difliculties I have devised the method shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. Referring to these figures it will be seen that 1 form an annular groove 3 near one end of the tube, as by hammering, and a longitudinal groove 4 extends from the annular groove 3, to the end of the pipe. I then place a cable 6 around the tube so that it lies within the groove, and knot it at 7, so that after passmg around the tube it may lie in the groove 4, and extend in the direction of the end of ooves are simply for the pur ose of allowing the cable to lie flush wit the outer surface of the tube so as to prevent no obstruction to the assage of the tube through the ]pipe. The ot er end of the cable 6 is led bac through the inside of the tube and knotted as at 8, a block 9 bein interposed between the knot and the end 0 the tube, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. It will-be understood that the cable 6 is of a length considerably greater than the tube, an that when its ends are attached to the tube, as above described, its middle portion forms a loop. In this loop I place a pulley 10, journaled in the block 11, which block may in turn be attached to a suitable sheaf 12, or other means by which a tractive force may be applied to said block. It will thus be seen that by pulling on the block 11, the tension in the two portions of the cable on opposite sides of the pulle 10 will be equalized, and the result will e the application of an e ual force simultaneously to both ends of t e tube 1. If desired, and particularly where the tubes are large, I may employ a strap or bail 5 soldered or otherwise secured to the end of the tube, and may tie the cable to this bail before securing it to the tube at 17. This is for the purpose of centralizing the pull on this end of the tube.

It will be understood, of course, that the tube is of considerably smaller diameter than the pipe in which it is inserted, and that after the tube has been inserted, it is necessaryto expand the same into contact with the inner walls of the pipe. For this purpose I employ a device which I designate a spreader, and various forms of which are illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12. Referrin type of evice emplo ed for straight pipes, 23 designates a cy in rical block, having its front end tapered or cone shape, as indicated at 23. A bolt 25, having a rounded head 26, passes centrally through the block 23, and is provided at its rear end with a .nut 27. Under the nut 27 is a washer 28,

and between the washer 28 and the block 23 is clamped a cup shaped leather disk,

to Fig. 9, which illustrates the eaaaea such as is used to form the packing for pump istons and the like. In Fig. 10, l have ilustrated a spreader of the same general shape, but the block 23, instead of being cylindrical, is more or loss parabolic, and the head of the bolt preferably conforms to the curve of the block, as shown.

Referring now to .l i s. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a section 0 pipe 2, having a tube 1 inserted therein. After this tube has been drawn into the pipe, I insert a spreader 23 into one end of the tube, and then also insert the end of a pi e 14, which is provided with a piston-lire packing, so as to cause it to fit the tube fluid tight. As shown, this packing consists of a leather disk 16 clamped between two plates 18 and 20, and held in position by means of nuts 15 and 19. It may be here stated that the end of the tube 1 is flattened out so as to form a flange 1", which fillsa recess 2, in the flange 2, of the pipe 2, as clearly shown in Fi 7. By reference to this figure, it will a so be seen that the outer face of the flange 2 is preferably rounded off, as indicated at 2. Consequently when the adjacent ends of two sections of pipe are arranged so that the flanges l abut, and bolts are inserted through the holes 2", in the flan es 2, a fluid tight joint will be formed etween the flanges of the lead lin- Referring a ain to Figs. 5 and 6, after inserting the p1pe 14 in the end of the tube, I slip over it a short piece of pipe 17. to act as a brace, and over this I secure a clamp 21, attached at one side of the flange 2 by meansof a bolt 22. If, therefore, fluid pressure, such as hydraulic pressure, he admitted through pipe 14, it will be seen that the spreader 23 or 23 will be driven through the tube, and will expand the same into contact with the walls of the ipe, as shown 'in Fig. 5. It will be particularly noted that owing to the. travel of the spreader through the tube it is expanded progressively from one end to the other, and consequently all air bubbles which would tend to collect between the tube and pipe, are smoothed out and eliminated. In order to still further compact the tube, and to secure an even more intimate contact with the pipe, I preferably employ the additional step illustrated in Fig. 6. This consists in providing a clamp 21 at the exit end of the pipe so disposed that when the spreader 23 reaches this end of the pipe, its movement will be arrested by the clamp. With the parts in this position, hydraulic or other pressure is admitted to the pipe until the pressure very greatly exceeds that employed for drivin the spreader through the tube. This results in forcing the malleable tubing into every irregularity on the inner surface'of the pipe, and securing a very intimate contact therewith, and at the same time, this operation serves as. a pres-i sure test to determine whether or not'the finished pipe will stand the pressure for which "it is designed; tothis end, suitable gages (not shown) are, of course, employed. After this test pressure 'has been applied, the clamp 21 is removed, the confined fluid allowed to escape, the tube 1 cut ofi at the proper length, and its end bent over to form a flange 1*,as above described.

Although the form of .spreader shown in Fig. 10 will ordinarily suffice for curved pipes, it may sometimes be desirable, where the work is particularly complicated, or where the bends in the pipe are sharp, to employ a series of short spreaders operating one behind the other, "as shown in, Fig. 8. lVith this arrangement, I prefer to make the spreaders of progressively increasing diameter, and the'first of the spreaders may be simply a ball, as shown in Fig. 12. The intermediate spreaders may have a conical point and a concave base, as shown in Fig. 11, to receive the point of the next succeeding spreader, while the last spreader of the series is provided with the packing ring 24, so as to secure a fluid tight fit. It will be observed that a series of spreaders used in straight pipes give the same advantages that they give when they are used-with curved pipe. These advantages result mainly from an increased flexibility of the spreader by virtue of its being made in sections, thus constituting a series of spreaders, if we consider each section a spreader, and from a decreased friction between the expanding surface and the surface of the tube being expanded on account of the decreased area of the surface of the spreader in contact with the tube. The flexibility resulting from the formation of the spreadef in sections enables the pipe to freely pass over the irregularities in the tube being expanded or pipe being expanded, whether that pipe be straight or purved. The decreased friction means an easier and more eflicient operation, as well as more accurate and better work, as there is less tendency for the tube being expanded to lag more at one side than another, and thus cause thin spots in the wall of the tube, or for the friction to become so great that the tube being expanded is drawn at a point adjacent the rear end of the, spreader and the walls thinned. This thinning of the iwalls of the tube may result in a breaking of thetube in case the friction becomes too great. A further advantage of the use of a series of spreaders is the fact that when the lining tube is of a diameter so much smaller than the tube to be lined that the expansion is too great to be performed by a single spreader, by the use of a series of spreaders of progressively increasing diameter, the tube may be expanded at once into place as a lunngr If slngle spreaders were used, three separate operations would benecessary in order to attain this result.

I do not 111 this application claim the apparatus for carrying out my method. This forms the subject of a divisional application.

It will thus be seen that I have devised an improved method both of inserting the tube into the pipe to be lined, and also of expanding the same, so as to eliminate air bubbles and to secure the most perfect contact possisimultaneously forcing a series of spreaders of rogressively increasing diameter through sai tube.

2. The method herein described, of expanding a malleable tube which consists in simultaneously forcing a series of spreaders of progressively increasing diameter through said tube, the said spreaders having expanding surfaces of less length than the overall length of the spreader, whereby the friction between the spreaders and the tube is decreased.

3. The herein described method of lining pipes which consists in first, inserting into the pipe to be lined a malleable tube of less diameter; secondly, expanding said tube progressively from end to end; and thirdly, forcing said tube into intimate contact with the pipe b means of fluid pressure.

4. The erein described method of lining pipes which consists in inserting into the pipe to be lined a malleable tube and expanding said tube progressively by driving a spreader therethrough by means of fluid pressure acting directly against said spreader, whereby all air between the tube and pipe is expelled.

5. The herein described method of lining pipes which consists in; first, drawing into the pipe to be lined a malleable tube of less diameter; second, inserting into one end of said tube a suitable spreader; third, admitting fluid pressure behind said spreader so as to drive the same through said tube; and fourth, arresting the movement of said spreader at the other end of said tube and increasing the fluid ressure within the tube.

6. The method 0 lining pipe which con sists in first inserting the lining in the form of a tube, then entering a suitable spreader at one end of the tube, and then driving said spreader from one end of the tube to the other by applying fluid pressure behind it.

7. A method of lining curved pipe which consists in first inserting into the pipe a tube of lining material, second, inserting into one end of said tube a series of spreaders of progressively increasing diameter, and third, forcing said spreaders through the tube by applying fluid pressure behind them.

S. The method of lining pipe which consists in first inserting the lining in the form of a tube, and then forcing through said tube a series of spreaders of progressively increasing diameter and in contact one with another, whereby the lining tube is expanded into place by stages in a single operation,

. and whereby the spreader-s pass freely irregularities in the lining and 111 the pipe being lined.

t). The method of lining pipe which consists in inserting first the lining in the form of a tube of less diameter than the ipe, and then forcing through said tube by uid pressure a series of spreaders of progressively increasing diameter in contact one with an-' ol her and having curved expanding surfaces spaced apart, whereby the Spreaders pass freely irregularities in the lining and in the pi pc being lined. I

10. A method of lining pipe which consists in first inserting the lining in the form of a tube of lining material, second inserting a series of short Spreaders having curved expanding surfaces of progressively increasing diameter, and third stopping up the end of the tube behind the Spreaders, and fourth applying fluid pressure behind the spreaders to force them through the tube.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set. my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES OTIS PERSONS.

\Vitnesses EVERETTE S. BAILEY, OLIVER P. Moran. 

